Only in Samoa? ...hmmm...maybe.

This is a "funny", sad, tragic and sick story. Yes, sick!

If you’re someone who reads the Samoa Observer online, then you would have read about a “short-finned pilot whale” stranded on a beach at one of the villages in the “Navigator Islands.”

According to the report the whale was stranded because “it was sick.” Now, today, in most countries - not all - the animal would have been rescued/saved, nursed back to health, cared for and then released. But not in these islands where by the time marine conservationists arrived, “portions of the whale had already been cut and parts of it were used for oil, while some eaten.”  Wow, sick!

But how would anyone explain or justify the actions of these villagers on the poor thing? Well actually there are several or maybe a few reasons. Let me count:

1. Is it religion? These are church-going, Bible believing people and they would say, subconsciously at least, that man was given “dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, ....”  Haha ..dominion or duh-minion?  now that's sick!

2. Is it culture? Samoans believe in luck and/or serendipity at best. They recite the native expression “Ua faiva ese lo Pepe” which welcomes any good fortune, no matter how it’s obtained....Another common expression that encourages the same attitude is “Ae’ae ia lea manu ua ulu,” (Let’s avail ourselves to unexpected fortunes.) especially when the villagers - according to the report - tried to push the whale back to sea while on the reef and yet it still drifted back to shore ...Regardless, it's still sick!

3. Is it appetite? These islanders love to eat and feast ...Oh yeah? ...still a sick excuse, and I hope they don’t get sick or become sickly! By the way, have you heard of some victims of the 2009 tsunami who died because they were busy collecting the fishes left by the receding tide? ...  sickos!

4. Is it conquest? What? ... Huh? ...How?

Ok, can we really blame these natives for their impetuous satiety? Put on your thinking taumata (fisherman’s visor/cap).

These islanders are descendants of seafaring ancestors and warriors. They survived from their conquests of the biggest ocean on the planet and the sometimes forbidding environment. The sea is their main source of livelihood and survival. But the sea also is a colosseum for their young adventurous marine gladiators.

As a little boy, I have seen days when the fisherman sat atop the heroes’ pedestal. In these navigator islands, a fisherman who catches a shark makes a victory and honor “lap” before mooring. As soon as he crosses the reef channel into the lagoon area, he raises his paddle straight up and spins it while doing an impression of the Michael Jackson high pitched scream. The natives call the utterance a faaumu or onomatopoeically, a “choosoosoo”. This is to announce to the villagers that he has returned with a sizeable catch; he’s won a trophy. The fish (almost always a shark) will then be cut up and distributed among the families, including the pastor/minister.

In other words, even a stranded sea animal may and can still be considered a catch, hence a victory and conquest for the natives, albeit over a helpless and sick - but still edible - sea creature.  LOL!

So, there.

Well, again, I hope these islanders do not get sick from eating meat from a sick sea monster. Either they’ll get really sick or - based on some modern slangy scrumptious context of the buzzword - they’ll just say, while munching on a big pilot whale fillet “Mmmmmm, this is sick!”

Oh, and speaking of getting sick from eating certain foods, I was surprised at the muli (oops, I mean si’usi’u) pipi (turkey tail) ban by the government. Only in Samoa too? Hey, Stui, and HRPP, how about banning alcohol and cigarettes - or at least a huge quantity of them? I hear that they are planning a second brewery in the country. Is there not enough beer in Samoa? And don’t tell me that Vailima is generating a lot of revenue from overseas sales. Yeah right! Drink On, I mean Dream On! Even an average Samoan knows that there are many more people getting sick and dying (physically and morally) from effects of tobacco and alcohol than from a tail of a bird.

Also, please let the  doctor, not a government, tell the people what food is good and not good for them!  Or are most of the doctors in Samoa also employed by a government hospital?  Ok, then to that I say, "That's sick!"

Sushi, Valentine and Cheating

There's this great sushi place not far from where we live. Once in a while (ok, more often than that) we would go to this place to eat if not to just certify the expression "variety is the spice of life" - literally. For me, personally, it's an ultimate dining indulgence - and a buffet does not even come close. Of course it's mostly just sushi they serve but there's a whole variety of the treat! I never used to like sushi especially because of its rice content. Yes, they say rice is not healthy, it's starchy and carby and therefore it easily piles on the pounds. But then I think about Shun Shi Miti, Chen Siama Ping and Hu Fung Slim and all their rice paddy field workers who are also big rice eaters in a remote Chinese village, and I'm confused and ...well, indignant. They defy the very myth that haunts me about alaisa. It reminds me of George Burns who huffs and puffs a cigar, as long as he's awake, and still lived to be a hundred. Ok, where's the sense in all this? Let me just say that sometimes it feels good, if not okay, to break some rules!  Lol.  I like to overindulge sometimes.

Enough digressing. So I called Dearie from work (she's still trying to recupe from her week-long bout with the cold and flu) to ask if she wanted to eat at Red Lobster or the sushi place. She said she did not care though sushi sounds appetizing. My band practice (for a post Valentine gig) was canceled and postponed and so we went a-sushiing! No it wasn't just dinner for her, she also got flowers/roses and a couple of gifts. (Happy Valentine!) ...and I got my sushi! Sometimes I think that most holidays are prejudiced and discriminatory. No details and no big deal. "Ish all gud," said one kamaloa, who also said "A fiafia mama, ua fiafia le oraga." (happy wife, happy life!). Ok, I buhleeave!!

But I also learned something important about food and life on the way to the sushi place. The radio was on a country station and a song was playing from which a particular line stuck with me, which I then used to justify and rationalize my occasional breaking of some rules - se o food rules! (Aren't some rules made to be broken anyway?..lol) The line from the song goes something like : "...sometimes I like my women just a little on the trashy side."  Hey, no it's not what you're thinking, you see, I'm a principled guy, yeeepp,  and so I look at, the principle! And the principle says to substitute the words "women" with ‘food", and "trashy" with "junkie" and I was immediately comforted by the fact that I can still occasionally cheat on my healthful diet, and still hope to live to be George Burns' age. And not that sushi aren't good and healthful, in fact these ones have salmon, avocado, tuna and other seafood ingredients. It can't get any healthier than that.

Speaking of wanting my food sometimes on the junkie side, I am one who defies, despises and avoids the "I'm loving it" slogan of the McPlace, but every once in a while (ok, twice, or thrice - ooops, there's that rice word again) I find myself at the drive through - at midnight - ordering two Big Macs. Why midnight? I don't know but it feels good to break some food rules at midnight. One day at church camp, I gulped a total of five or six diet cokes; the last one was imbibed at midnight.  :)

So this past Valentine, I reaffirmed the notion that I can break some food rules and still be at peace with my cheating appetite. And sushi being the main tempter! Was it Oscar Wilde who said that the way to overcome temptation is to yield to it?  Ok, with sushi, I'll do it.   Cheater! ...LOL!

The Occupy Spell

...just for laughs or a spell too, maybe ...lol

The Occupy movement has recently been revived.  I have said that I too am a "99er", but I feel that some fellow ninety-niners are not helping in making the cause a more serious, real and credible one.  When one of the main gripes in these demonstrations involves the lack of decent, meaningful and well-paid jobs, I believe that a protester needs decent spelling skills first to get such a job.  Doncha (hahaa) think?

proffffiiiffffiiiii ....whadever!

Hi!...and what do you read? ... the consifusion? ...hahaha

...or a fief  fo'i ...ia poo "fifi" loa.  O Obama o le sifi (commander) ma le fifi ...lol!

kalofa e, ia polishians ...and "vipers" would have worked better and easier to spell than "diapers," ochay? magaia le sign ae sipelo le sipela

Ia ga le ua Okapppppi! ...chususuuuu!

... and in case "we" thought "we" are the only spell checkers, think again ... the picketers too!  LOL!

Romney Wins Florida

I had just watched the Florida Republican Primary tonight, and Romney, as predicted, won handily, beating Newt Gingrich who stole South Carolina from him a week ago. I think I'm with most of the pundits who say that this GOP Primary is going to be more like the speed of a turtle than a hare. One of the reasons for the former, is that Gingrich - who is Romney's main rival now - is a stubborn fat dude. He seems defiant and arrogant and will stay in the race. He feels like a big bully whose candy has been snatched from him by a timid lanky kid.  Gingrich is angry and the race may very well be a long duel until June - or it may not. With enough money, Gingrich can continue to throw punches at Romney even at the expense of party unity. Gingrich is also equally if not more angry with Santorum for splitting the so-called conservative vote, although, their combined votes (Gingrich's and Santorum's) tonight still do not equal Romney's numbers.

Therefore, tonight's big win in Florida - one of the most diverse states - for Romney is an impressive one. And for that I think Romney deserves a small Samoan celebration.  LOL!
 

Kaimi o le pa'umu!! ...Chususuuuuuuuu!

To Respond or Not To Respond ...

...that is the question. Well, already, the answer is “Yes, LV, respond!”  Heheee!

Note: This particular response is to one of the bloggers - a fellow Samoan - who has besmirched my three-part critical review of the movie The Orator (Tulafale).

Although I anticipated and saw the “hurled [cyberspace] rocks” coming (re: introduction to Part I), I did not quite expect them to come from particular individuals, but I guess I was wrong.  It’s always a person’s prerogative to disagree, and express it in a clear, well written rebuttal/response, but to stoop to the level of name calling and ad hominem ranting, is a reflection of narrow mindedness and other vile tendencies.

Let me shed some light on the subject of critical movie reviews for my attackers (oh, attacker) and for those who may share the same/similar malicious sentiments.

Technically, a review is different from a critical review. The former is mostly a rehash of a movie, novel, play, etc., with some personal aggrandizement. A critical review on the other hand - as my titles state - is an exercise “involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation" (Merriam-Webster).

Here are some excerpts from an article on critical movie reviews (emphases mine):

[A] strong review shouldn't simply state whether you like or dislike a movie. A strong review weighs different aspects of the movie, and draws a fair conclusion about its merits and flaws.

Keep these points in mind if you want to write a fair and thoughtful review:
Be specific. Be objective. Do your research.

Be specific
Being specific and giving examples makes it more meaningful for the reader. It doesn't mean that you should rehash the entire movie; it means that you should speak of precise, not general, things. Instead of saying "The dialogue is poor," say, "Real teenagers don't really talk this way." Rather than "the stunts are awesome," say, "The action sequences are stylish, but realistic." Instead of noting how "the movie has plot holes big enough for a space ship to go through," say, "The movie doesn't explain how the crew made it back to the solar system in time."

Be objective
It's not always easy, but strive to be as objective as possible. Don't let your feelings--positive or negative--about an actor, director, or genre dictate the content of your review.

Beyond the movie's surface, look at its meaning: what is it trying to say? Look at the big picture (pun not intended), and remember, the best movies are often those that move or disturb you.

One last thing about objectivity: being objective doesn't mean that you can't say how you feel about a movie. You can still say that a movie is well done, but too dark for your liking.

Do your research
You might not think it, but research--which might amount to just a quick Google search--is important for a balanced and accurate movie review. For example, I once edited a movie review that cited a movie's cinematography. The review then gave examples of things that had nothing to do with cinematography (which is camerawork and things related to the technical aspects of the camera).

Don't be afraid to go against the grain.  If everyone's raving about a movie, and you thought it terrible, review it honestly. An honest, well-explained review is a good one, no matter what the rest of the world thinks about the movie.

Also, part of the jargon used in my reviews includes film terminology, therefore I don’t just use "big words  for kicks" as ineptly claimed. And words like “convoluted” and “sophistication” are used in higher levels of the academia. If you don’t like them, then maybe I have a different audience in mind, aye? By the way “sophistication” is favorable and complimentary, and so is "ambitiousness".

Again, let’s agree to disagree and be scholarly and academic - if possible - about issues.  And if not, then at least be civil and matured about things.

Lastly, please see the movie first before ranting, and I mean see it, don’t just watch it.

Ma le faaaloalo lava

The Tulafale (The Orator): A Critical Review - Part III

III.  DID NOT DELIVER in the END  (Ua le o gatasi le futia ma le umele.)

To use a movie-based idiom, let me "cut to the chase."  The lauga (oration/speech) in the end by Saili (Leopa’o) is a dud.

The title of a movie - or any other product of artistic expression for that matter - is its first disclosure and giveaway. In the case of Tulafale, it is unambiguous. The main subtext in Tulafale is traditional oratory, which is an integral and relatively unique part of Samoan society. Therefore the movie cannot be about an orator but without his craft being showcased and demonstrated, even in maybe a supplemental and supportive role. Moreover, the Tulafale’s character arc is driven by traditional oratory and the success of Saili’s goal of getting his loved ones buried near his home rests mainly, if not entirely, on it.

Unfortunately, the speech lacks style, depth, wit and/or other memorable verbiage and elements. It is dull and monotonous - not that all great speeches should be lively unpretentious and incitive. But for Tulafale, there are certain expectations of the speech that are fostered and advanced by the storyline, plot and characterization (re: Saili’s reticence) which the average viewer feels are not met or well delivered.

The speech should be more profound and memorable. It should have a “wow” factor, at least a catchphrase or a deep philosophical quote to make the speech - hence the movie - a lingering treat. Some great movies are remembered and favored because of memorable phrases, and I was looking for that in the speech, something that transcends race, culture and ethnic demographics. For example, Saili could have said something like: “Poto, e laititi lo’u tino, ae tele lo’u fatu.” (“I have a small body but a much bigger heart,”) or other variants such as "Oute pu'upu'u ae umi lo'u fatu, e umi atu nai lo le to'oto'o," ("I may be short, but my heart is tall, taller than this staff"); "E tele atu lo'u fatu nai lo lo'u tino." ("My heart is bigger than my body").  And then find similar memorable expressions for death like "Tatou te ola ina ia tatou oti, tatou te oti foi ina ia tatou toe ola," ("We live to die, but we also die to live again")

Samoan oratory is replete with flowery expressions and Tulafale should take advantage of such a resource for speech embellishment. Saili  does  flirt with this notion especially in the treatise of his conversance with death, including birds and worms, but a lot of it is banal and forgettable.  It does not quite capture the degree of what I would personally call “indelibility through profundity.”  Saili's metaphorical request for Vaaiga to be buried between his heart and lungs is too cliched, denying and negating his own mortality.

Death is a universal subject and Samoan oratory contains idioms, expressions, metaphors, etc. which, though local in origin, context and/or source, can still render and delineate universal nuances. As someone who understands the pragmatic role of traditional oratory in Samoan life, I was looking forward to a powerful and silver-tongued lauga as the protagonist’s main weapon in achieving his objective; however, for me, it did not deliver nor impress.

Moreover, I think the character arc should have been actualized and enhanced by some noticeable or even dramatic changes in the protagonist, besides his new chiefly title. He has been mostly reticent - not passively quiet as claimed - throughout the movie, but the climactic events should endow him with aggressiveness, passion, eloquence and wisdom.  Saili should also avoid acknowledging his own insecurities - at least to advance the change and growth in the character arc - notably when he said he is ashamed of himself.  Instead of being apologetic and rueful, he should be more aggressive, determined, firm and articulate in the latter parts of the movie.

The speech (delivery, intonation, etc.,) should also reflect the change of inner strength and vigor. Even a changed, compelling, persuasive and deeper voice certainly helps. In fact a dramatic transformation in oratorical skills is not farfetched in Samoa where the continuing tofa and moe (dialog and tutoring by the dead, especially past orators) are intrinsic in Samoan beliefs, lore and myths.

All these should serve as the standard and template for the speech unless Saili is cast as a different and rare type of tulafale - soft spoken and softhearted. But that however presents another irony especially when Saili cries during the oration.  According to the movie, women do not become orators because they don’t want their breasts exposed; conversely then, men should not be tulafales either if they are crybabies.

So, figuratively speaking, does the umele (back end of the bonito fishing pole) connect well with the futia (receiver /pouch made of sennit) in Tulafale?  I’ve made my call; you make yours.

Again the lauga, perhaps the main and critical component and event in Tulafale, falls short of being the fitting complement to the ambitiousness and convoluted sophistication of the movie.

All in all, I still tip my hat off to Mr. Tamasese. He has raised Samoan filmmaking to a whole new level! Malo le taumafai! Malo le tauataa’i! Malo fo’i le fai o le faiva!  Keep up the great work!

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PS: I hope Sundance does not indulge in its more liberal leanings and squelch Tulafale because of its religious/Christian images and overtones.